With the season winding down, May will be the make-or-break month for Chelsea with Champions League secured and the Europa League trophy on the line.
Although there have been many thrilling times recently, none have had more headlines than the last month. Chelsea’s new kits divided the fanbase, almost as much as the #SarriOut debate. Eden Hazard hinted at his re-signing as the media toyed with fans’ emotions. The Blues lost Antonio Rudiger and Callum Hudson-Odoi to season-ending injuries and most importantly, the top four race trickled into match week 38.
Two seemingly undeserving clubs will clinch their places. With one match left to play, Chelsea secured their spot, with Tottenham all but certain to get in, as well. As exciting as it may be, there are many other things going on around Chelsea FC.
1. Match of the Month: Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea
The 3-0 win over Watford to clinch top four was massive. However, had the Blues dropped three points at Old Trafford, the top four race would still be wide open. Luckily, Chelsea clawed its way back to salvage a draw.
From the opening whistle, United looked composed and determined. The key to defeating Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri has been to man-mark Jorginho and establish a high-press early on. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer understood that. Ander Herrera eliminated Jorginho from the match from the opening kickoff and the Blues couldn’t play the ball out of their own half.
However, following Juan Mata’s 11′ goal, Chelsea began taking a different approach.
Instead of the central defenders running everything through Jorginho, they began to use Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. The fullbacks pushed the ball up from the sides, where United gave Chelsea space.
While this ultimately resulted in a lot of crosses into the box as opposed to passes inside from the center of the pitch, Chelsea looked more composed. In addition to allowing Chelsea to play out of its own half, the center backs could play forward and hold a tighter line, as well.
This proved vital because, in the 43′, when Antonio Rudiger found himself 35 yards away from the goal, his shot led to Marcos Alonso’s goal off his surging run. The equalizer opened the game up again for Chelsea in the second half, as Jorginho became more and more involved as the match went on.
Unfortunately for the Blues, they were unable to walk away with a deserved three points after getting the better chances in the later stages. Regardless, a vital point when securing a Champions League place, one of the most nerve-racking matches Chelsea has played all season.